OBITUARY: William "Mark" Markham Ballard

Posted

William “Mark” Markham Ballard, 56, husband of Debra “Debi” Lynn Love-Ballard, died Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at McLeod Regional Medical Center.

Born May 11, 1962, in Wadesboro, NC, he was a son of the late William Earl Ballard and the late Marion Patrick Buff Ballard. He was a Maintenance Supervisor for Curing, Final Finish and Warehousing for Continental Tires.  He attended Cornerstone Community Church in Orangeburg.  He volunteered as a baseball coach with the Clarendon County Recreational Program for many years.   Mark enthusiastically filmed high school football for Manning High School coaching and mentoring JV and Varsity Baseball for many seasons.  He was a proud member of the USC Carolina Alumni Band and marched with the Drum Corps International.  He was a member of St. Peter’s Lodge #54.  He served in the US Navy as a nuclear-trained Electricians Mate Third Class Petty Officer aboard the mighty USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, William Markham Ballard II (Amy) of Beaufort and Patrick Shane Ballard of Manning; a daughter, Sheila Marie Sanders of Dalzell; four step-daughters, Jessica Love and Lyndsey Fralix both of Charleston and Larsen Fralix and Lacey Fralix both of Summerton; seven grandchildren, Will, Molly, Henry and Oliver Ballard of Beaufort, Gracelynn Sanders of Dalzell and “Bentley” Ballard of Manning; one brother, John Ballard (Marilyn) of Gulf Shores, AL; one sister, Cheryl Lambert (Charles) of Marion; and many children that Mark was the “Community Father” where he lived to shape them into the men they are today.

A funeral service with military honors, will be held 1 p.m. on Friday, January 11, 2019, in the chapel of Stephens Funeral Home.  A Masonic Rite Committal Service will be held 3:30 p.m. at Crestlawn Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg.

Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, January 10, 2019, at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers Mark was committed to young athletes and promoted higher education, therefore he requested memorials be made to the “Coach Mark Ballard for the Love of the Game” Scholarship Fund in care of 1223 Rexford Drive, Summerton, SC  29148.

Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church Street, Manning, is in charge of arrangements, (803) 435-2179. www.stephensfuneralhome.org